No Church on Christmas?
This was the title MSNBC ran on their article about this "Whether or not to have Church on Christmas day controversy" of December 2005. It was a very unique situation for not only the church where I serve but churches across the country this year as Christmas and New Years both landed on a Sunday. If you do the math the last time that actually hapened was in 1994. (thanks to leap year) So this doesnt happen that often. The big debate for many churches was whether or not to have services on Christmas day due to the lack of attendance or just focus on Christmas Eve. (Click here to read the MSNBC story) Being a Worship Leader/program direcor myself we spent weeks in staff meeting discussing what to do. ( and asking other churches) Now that its all said and done Im glad we stuck with Christmas services on Christmas Eve and day. It might sound crazy since we had to hold 7 services all together on both days and I am still trying to recover but it was a good choice. After all and no matter what, what is Christmas time for anyway?? Several churches said they cancelled since they were expecting low attendance and not expecting the "unchurched" to show (the unchurched being the primary focus of who they are trying to reach.) As for our church I know its safe to say over 70% of our attenders on Christmas Eve AND on Christmas day were those we ARE focusing on and those are the "Unchurched". I hope opportunities like this weren't missed by the many churches across the country who decided to close for different reasons. Whether overall it was the decision to cancel to allow families to stay home and spend time together, or because churches were "bowing to secular culture" as many media opponents criticized, or a lack of staffing due to being a mega church or just for the convenience of it all I don't know. My hope though is that churches of all sizes when it comes to programming and cooperate worship in today's socieity will prayerfully steer away from what seems like a "logical" decision to us and never replace our meeting times together for whatever reason with what could be a divine opportunity for God to do His thing!
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.- Hebrews 10:25

Christmas In Arizona
This year for the first time ever we will be spending Christmas in Arizona. ( Ok we may take a short trip to the west coast and enjoy the ocean for a couple days too) Prescott, AZ is Arizona's Christmas city. What exactly does that mean? Well other than the fact that there are more Christmas celebrations, parades, lights, etc than any other city Ive seen the rumor is it also snows here. Not alot but just enough to cover the ground (and hopefully enough to go sledding) Supposedly there are a couple ski hills north of here a bit that I hope to check out as well. I wouldnt have believed all this if just a month ago it didnt start getting crazy cold (for Arizona anyway) It was 3 degrees at the Grand canyon on the news the other day. From our house and around the area you can see the SanFransico Peaks located in Flagstaff and they have snow all over them. As for here right now its just another bright and sunny day. I would have never imagined snow in Arizona but then again we are 5,3000 feet above sea level here. ( In Phoenix its been around 60 or so!!) Whatever the case may be and no matter where you are Christmas is still Christmas and I pray everyone has a great Christmas and holiday season!

Now available on........
Thats right Overflow is now available at BestBuy (via internet). Soon it will be available through ITUNES, Rhapsody and Sony as well! Great news!!!

The Earnsts go to Hollywood!!



Click HERE to see pictures from the trip!

Wow this month has just flown by! It's hard to believe but two weeks ago now I had the privelege to have a 10 minute interview/song segment on KGCB in Prescott featuring the song "Safe & Sound". Garrick, one of the stations D. J.'s interviewed me about the history of the song and tied it in with the 9-11 tribute weekend. Thanks Garrick for the airplay and recognition! It's always great to hear your own music played on the radio and especially that one. KGCB is a christian station here in town that broadcasts up to the Flagstaff area and down to Phoenix. Check back here soon to here the audio streamline of the song/interview online.

Kevin & Worship Team Jammin at the Labor day picnic in Prescott

Katrina
Just before I came out to interview at my present worship ministry I was called by a church in New Orleans about a position there. Although it seemed like a great opportunity I knew it wasnt where God wanted us. After seeing what happened down there in these past few weeks Im greatful that we didnt end up there and how God was watching out for us long term. It seems just like 9-11 that everyone knows someone who was a part of that tragedy and so it effects us all. Again we are provided with another opportunity to reach people and minister to them as their hearts are opened. Third Day has a new great song out here that you can download for free with clips of media from the news througout the song. Check it out. Pray God again will bring good things from this devestation.